Canister support



y 1945- F. M. HOBSON ETAL 2,400,146

- CANISTER SUPPORT Filed Marchvl2; 1940 .4 Frank M.Hobson a 16 mund E. Brad Jr.

ATTO NE Y.

Patented May 14, 1946 CANISTER SUPPORT Frank M. Robson and Edmund E. Brady, J12, I

Washington, D. C.

Application March 12, 1940, Serial No. 323,580

9 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in a support for an air purifying canister, and it is more specifically an improvement of a canister support from a head harness holding a facepiece or gas mask in a protective position and which renders the general arrangement more adaptable in that the canister is more quickly, comfortably and conveniently supported.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to support an air purifying canister of a breathing apparatus from a spacing and cushioning pad of a head harness, the pad generally engaging the back side of the head and to which the head harness straps are connected, but applications made of this idea have caused great inconvenience and discomfort to the wearer as Well as rendering the general arrangement unadaptable for certain uses.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a canister support arrangement connected to the head harness and by which the canister is securely mounted and positioned relatively comfortably and snugly to the wearer, in all instances and without modification, and eliminating interference and inconvenience as much as possible.

It is a specific object of this invention to provide a head harness and canister support arrangement which is simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture and adaptable for quick and easy engagement and without hindering or interfering with the operation and functioning of the breathing or respiratory apparatus connected to the canister.

It is a still more specific object of this invention to provide a fastening means attached to the body of a canister and which is adaptable for quick connection to available receptive means.

Other objects of this invention will becom apparent from the specification and drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating a preferred embodiment of our invention and showing an application to one type of head harnessv and air purifying canister.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same embodiment and which shows particularly the comfortable disposition of the canister.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. r

Fig, 4 illustrates a plan viewof a resilient clip integrally attached to the body of the canister.

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating a construction of a ball or connector which is used in connecting the clip of the canister to the cushioning pad of the head harness.

Fig. 6 illustrates the adaptability of the embodiment to another support.

This invention has been adapted especially to a spacing element or cushioning pad incorporated in a head harness and which maintains head straps in predetermined spaced disposition so that they are properly positioned and maintained on the head and also to cushion and render less uncomfortable the pressure applied in retaining a facepiece in protective engagement. This article is usually made of rubber or other formable material and shaped with a concave side so as to conform to the shape of the back side of the head of a wearer in order to provide as much cushion as possible. With this arrangement head harness straps 2 are connected to the element or pad I by means of cords or straps 3 which are interwoven about studs or pins 4 in some such a manner as illustrated in Fig. 1 and as described in U. S. Patent No. 1,942,442.

For average purposes the body of the canister 5 is of a sizable nature so as to include sufficient air purifying materials for removing toxic or poisonous contaminants from air for an appreciable period which may be drawn into an inlet 6 of the canister. After passing through the materials, the purified air is drawn into breathing tubes 1 and 8 connected to the outlets 9 located at each end of the canister. These breathing tubes 1 and 8 are connected directly to a facepiece or gas mask (not shown) and thus upon inhalation supply purified air to the facepiece.

Some applications have been made of the general arrangement of connecting the air purifying canister to a head harness, but in each instance they have been impractical because of the means used in applying the weight of the canister to the harness and also because of the discomfort which has been caused to a wearer due to the disposition of the canister in its supported condition. Also, in some instances apparatus has been necessary which required relatively expensive parts and elements for constructing the assembly and also the canister has not been quickly positioned positively so as to prevent any dislocation or disassembly of the canister.

By this invention, a simple and inexpensive arrangement is provided and which allows free and ready movement of the head while supporting the canister and without interfering to any extent with'the operation of 'a breathing apparatus. A feature of this invention is that the canister is supported ina manner from the head harness so canister engages the wearer and reduces to some extent the effect of the weight of the canister and contents on the harness and so that the support and engagement is rendered as comfortable as possible.

Since the pad I, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is made generally of rubber molded material and the interior is made hollow to accommodate an insert to which are connected the straps 3, it is necessary in manufacture to provide an opening I I through which a core is removed after the pad has been molded. In our preferred arrangement, advantage is taken of this opening for connecting a bail or connector member [2 to the cushioning pad by forming an integral rubber housing or arched projection 13, represented as having a box shape, when molding the cushioning member and disposing it so that there is substantially an equal portion on each side of the opening H. The opening [4 in the housing or projection is shown as being rectangular in shape, but this need not necessarily be so since any shape can be used which may conveniently be molded and which has an operative surface capable of rigidly holding a bail member.

Referring specifically to Fig. 5, a bail member or connector I2 is formed of a single piece of wire or strap material which is bent intermediate its ends to form a flat portion Hi. The metal should have sufficient strength to form a substantially rigid means to which a canister can be attached and it has been found that ordinary spring metal is suitable. End portions of the metal are shaped so as to engage an inner operative surface of the projection l3. Intermediate the flat portion l6 and the engaging or end portions l5 are provided inwardly directed intermediate portions I! to engage an outside surface of the projection and thus more rigidly position the bail onto the pad.

The lower flat portion l6 of the bail member [2 containing indents Mia and IE1) pivotally engages a flat fastener or spring clip which is connected to the outside surface of the body of the canister 5 by means of bolts or studs 2|. The clip 20 has two engaging portions and is made preferably of spring steel so as to have some yieldability but rigid enough to retain itself against normal forces. The one portion 22 is adapted to engage the fiat portion [6 of the bail member l2 and is preferably of a width similar to the length of the flat portion in order to restrain the canister against movement along the bail while the other portion 23 is adapted to engage a fiat strap or tab 30 carried by the wearer such as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6. This adaptability of the clip is advantageous since in some instances it may be necessary to remove quickly the canister from the head harness and support it from some part of the clothing that may be worn. It is preferred that the clip have thischaracteristic so that it can be changed without much effort and with a minimum amount of time and also be of such a nature that it is simple in operation and positive in action and provide a quick connection. The portion 22 is provided with a groove or ridge 25 and is preceded by a nib 21 in order to lock the bail in position although yielding when disengagement is desired. By limiting the contacted surface of the bail to indents, the canister is free to move about the portion l6 as an axis of movement even though the bail tightly engages the clip at the apex of the indents. This relatively free movement about the bail provides means which readily adjusts the positioning of the canister to the wearer and retains the canister as close to the body as possible to restrict the protrusion of the canister to a minimum. The portion 23 is provided with a large nib 28 in order to hold the canister on to a belt or flat piece of clothing. In each instance, the use of nibs has a further advantage in that they provide greater tolerance in manufacture and allow greater pressure in engagement with the surface of the canister.

In applying the canister to the cushioning pad, the bail I2 is first inserted into the housing by flexing the two end portions [5 together and then passing them into the hollow portion of the housing l3 by passing them through the opening ll. When pressure is then released, the portions l5 move into their normal position and thus engage the inner surfaces of the housing :3 and provide somewhat of a rigid engagement. Because of the yieldable character of the housing or engageable portion l3 of the pad, it allows some relative movement of the bail, and this is preferred to eliminate discomfort which may occur in extraordinary postures. With the bail member in position, the canister is then applied to the member by inserting the portion 22 of the clip 20 and to the extent that the flat member I6 passes beyond the nib 21 and into the ridge 26.

A feature of thi invention is that the bail can be so designed to provide a rigid connectablc means spaced from the pad and receptive of a clip and when placed in combination with a suitable spring clip or fastener connected to the canister support the canister in an improved manner which is self-adjustable so as to accommodate itself uniformly and universally to the wearer. This is accomplished in part by the free movement of the canister about the bail even though it is restrained from disengagement from the canister.

With the canister in this supported position, it normally engages the back side of the neck of the wearer as illustrated in Fig. 2 and by this function relieves to some extent of the weight of the canister on the head harness, and this engagement continues during most all normal positions. Should any disengagement occur as when the head is drawn back in extreme position, the disengagement is of a very limited amount and causes very little discomfort when the head is brought back to a normal upright position. By this free and yet restricted movement of the canister, there isno material interference with the functioning of the breathing apparatus, and in fact, the arrangement is especially advantageous in eliminating any undue stress or elongation of the breathing tubes 1 and 8 and thus prevents any strain on the remaining parts of the apparatus as well as diminishing any discomfort by wearing the apparatus. The breathing tubes, being connected at each end of the canister, are effective to some extent in restricting lateral movement of the canister relative to the body. but it is apparent that the usefulness of our invention is not limited to this type of canister and breathing apparatus.

By using a wire bail or connector, it can be varied in overall length without material change by merely changing the length of the spacing portions l8 and this can be readily accomplished although, because of the adaptability of the entire support, it is believed that the presence of this variable as a means of adjustment will not be necessary.

Furthermore, should it be desired to remove the canister from the head harness, it is possible,

if the canister is arranged such as illustrated in Fig. 6, to readily disconnect the clip-from the bail and connect to thestrap 30 and thismaybe a cloth tab or loop sewed onto the clothing in an appropriate location, as onto the collar illustrated in Fig. 2. It is quickly connected by merely inserting the portion 23 through the strap until the nib 28 passes through so as to positively secure the canister in this position.

It is apparent that while the engaging portions 22 and 23 are shown as extending in opposite directions, the clip can just as well be made so that the engaging portions extend in the same direction or one engaging portion can be made adaptable for both purposes. I

Should the pad I be made of metal or should no pad be available, some sort of a connection between the harness and a depending support element can be made so as to dispose the canister, as described, and allow it to move about the support to accomplish the desired ends. It is preferred additionally to provide a support or bail connection at the head harness which will allow the lowermost end of the bail or support to move outwardly from the body a limited extent in order to be adaptable to unusual postures. This is accomplished in th preferred embodiment by using a, yieldable connection, but in case such a connection is not feasible other suitable connections can be substituted, such as a hinge.

Other modifications can be made of this invention while still incorporating the principles thereof, and it is intended that the invention be construed broadly enough to include any modifications which mightbe made thereof and which are within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a head harness and canister combination in which the harness includes a spacing pad to engage the back side of the head and from which the canister is to be supported and comprising a resilient arched means integral with the body of the pad and adaptable for receiving a shaped member, a depending support made of a single piece of strip metal and having its ends shaped to engage an inner surface of the arched means and to extend downwardly therefrom and having further a substantially flat portion intermediate the ends and at its lowermost extremity, and a spring clip connected to the canister body and engageable with the substantially flat portion of the support.

2. In a head harness and canister combination in which the head harness includes a pad engageable with the back side of the head and comprising a rearwardly extending arched protuberance and having an entering opening intermediate its ends, a depending connector formed of a single strip of metal bent intermediate its ends and having each end portion shaped so that it is passable through the entering opening and engages an inner surface of one side of the arched protuberance, said wire strip having a substantially fiat portion intermediate its ends and at its lowermost extremity, and a spring clip connected to the canister body and engageable with the flat portion of the wire strip so that the canister is free to move about the flat portion of the wire strip as an axis of movement.

3. In a head harness and canister combination in which the head harness includes a resilient pad engageable with the back side of the head and from which an air purifying canister is to be suspended and comprising a resilient rearwardly extending arched. protuberance integrally united tothe body of the pad and having an entering opening intermediate its ends, as support bail formed or .a single strip of relatively thin sub stantially rigid wire bent intermediate its ends and having each end portion shaped to pass through the entering opening and to operatively engage an inner surface of one side of the arched protuberance to provide a substantially rigidconnection between the pad and the bail, said bail depending from the engaging'portions and having a substantial flat engageable portion intermediate its ends and disposed a predetermined distance from the engaged end portions, and a spring clip having a width substantially that of the flat engageable portion of the bail and connected to the canister body and adaptable to receive and retain the fiat portion of the bail.

4. A head harness adaptable to receive an engaging means integral with an air purifying canister and including a pad having head straps connected thereto and comprising a resilient housing shaped means integral with the rearward face of the pad and extending outwardly therefrom and a bail'member having its ends shaped to fit into the housing and engaging the inner surface and capable of being'fiexed into engaging position with the housing and said bail'member having a portion depending from the engaged ends and terminating in a substantial flat portion at the lower most extremity and to be engageable with a spring clip attached to the body of the canister.

55. A device to support an air purifying canister from a resilient pad of a head harness comprising abox-like member of resilient material integral with the resilient pad and extending outwardly from the rearward face of the pad and having an opening intermediate its ends to receive a bail member, a bail member of wire material having its ends bent similar to the interior shape of the box-like member and capable of being flexed for insertion into the interior of the box-like member, said bail member depending from the engaged end and having an engageable portion of substantial extent at its lowermost extremity, a spring clip to be attached to the body or a canister and engageable with the lowermost portion of the bail member and of similar width and having further a portion which is engageable with a fiat member for supporting the canister from the clothing of the wearer.

6. A device to support an air purifying canister from a resilient pad of a head harness comprising a housing-like member of resilient material integral with the resilient pad and having an entering opening intermediate its ends, a bail member of wire material having each end portion bent similar to the interior shape of one side of the housing-like member and having each end terminating in a direction toward the other, said bail member being shaped further to engage an outer surface of the box-like member and then depend therefrom to an engageable fiat portion at this lowermost extremity, a spring clip connected to the body of the canister engageable with V canister from clothing of the wearer.

7. In a head harness and canister combination in which the head harness includes a resilient pad engageable with the back side of the head and from which an air purifying canister is to be suspended and comprising a resilient rearwardly extended arched protuberance integrally united to the body of the pad and having an entering opening intermediate its ends, .a support bail formed of a single strip of wire bent intermediate its ends and having each'end portion shaped to pass through the entering opening and to engage the inner surface of one side of the arched protuberance to provide a substantially rigid connection between the pad and the bail, said bail depending from the engaging portions and shaped to provide a substantial flat engageable portion intermediate its ends and disposed at predetermined distance from the engaged ends, the flat portion having indents spaced along its length, and a spring clip having a width substantially that of the'fiat engageable portion of the bail and attached to the canister body and adaptable to receive and retain the fiat portion of the bail while allowing movement of the canister about the fiat portion as an axis of movement.

8. In a breathing apparatus, a facepiece, a head harness for holding the facepiece in position, an air purifying canister having an outlet connection in each of its end portions, a depending means having an engageable portion in its lowermost extremity and connected to the head harness to position the engageable portion rearwardly of a wearer, engageable means attached to a portion of the body of the canister intermediate its end portions to dispose an outlet connection on each sideof the head, the means being adaptable to receive and retain the engageable portion of the depending means, a flexible breathing hose connected to each outlet connection of the canister and each hose passing about the head on a side opposite to the other hose and connected to the facepiece and so arranged, when in an operative position, to retain the canister in proper position and restrain its movement away from the wearer.

9. In a breathing apparatus, a facepiece, a head harness for holding the facepiece in position, an air purifying canister having an outlet connection in one of its end portions, depending means having an engageable portion at its lowermost extremity and attached to the head harness to position the engageable portion rearwardly of a wearer and in such a manner that the means is retained in position and restrained from turning about its attachment to the head harness, engageable means on the body of the-canister intermediate the end portions to dispose the outlet connection on one side of the head and arranged to receive the engageable portion of the depending means, a flexible inlet hose attached to the outlet connection of the canister and passin r around one side of the head of the wearer and connected to the facepiece, and the flexible hose being so arranged, when in an operative position to restrain it from movement outwardly from the wearer.

FRANK M. HOBSON. EDMUND E. BRADY, JR. 

